Chapter 35:

Mira's blue eyes sparkled with mischief as she listened at the bar. Laxus was already regretting telling her that he and Gajeel had decided to move in together. They'd even found a nice sized home not too far from the guild. It was two stories with three bedrooms, two upstairs and one down, two bathrooms and a large garage. Neither of them had a car so they decided to turn it into a music room of sorts. Laxus already had plans to hook up large speakers and Gajeel was talking about how he could play his guitar as loud as he wanted. Now all that was left to do was move everything into their new home.

"Poor Lily," she grinned devilishly at him, "Maybe I should offer for him to stay with me while you two christen the new home."

"Mira, stop," he snapped, already fed up with her comments.

"Are you having a house warming party?" she smiled a little more innocently at him.

"Eh? A party?" Laxus cocked an eyebrow at her.

"Did someone say party?" Happy piped and Natsu was close behind his flying friend, a flurry of blue and salmon as they made their way over to Laxus.

Laxus sighed heavily and rested his cheek into his knuckles, already annoyed, "No. We didn't."

"Oh but you have to have a housewarming, party," Mira insisted, that wicked grin creeping back to her features as she raised her voice, "How else will you drive the evil spirits away?"

"There aren't any evil spirits in my house," Laxus hissed, shooting daggers her way as she attracted more attention.

"Evil spirits?" Erza perked up, bringing Cana's eyes with her as she sauntered up the bar, "There are evil spirits in your house, Laxus?"

"No, there aren't," he growled through gritted teeth as Mira smiled sweetly at him.

"But you said yourself the house was empty for over a year and that's why you got such a good price on it," she smirked, happy to have drawn the gaze of everyone in the near vicinity, "Don't you know the legends behind vacant houses?"

"Do tell," Lucy smiled as Happy sank shakily into her arms.

"Cold and dark places draw out evil spirits," Mira's voice took on a haunted edge and Laxus rolled his eyes, "The longer a house lays vacant, the more spirits flock to the cold empty rooms to fill them with their malicious intent…"

"L-L-Laxus is going to a h-haunted house?" Happy shivered fretfully in Lucy's arms.

"That's why you invite guests into your new home, so they can bring their warmth and happiness into the house and scare off the cold and dark. The more people, the warmer the house, and the less room there is for spirits to haunt the halls," Mira finished with a bit of a flair.

"Oh…" Erza's eyes were wide in amazement and she turned her gaze to Laxus, "I would be honored to help drive the evil spirits from your new home."

"As would I!" Natsu chimed in.

"I'll come if there's booze!" Cana laughed heartily.

"I'm not having a housewarming party!" Laxus snapped, causing silence to fill the space finally. Mira crossed her arms and shot him an angry look. He promptly ignored it.

"What's going on over here?" Gajeel's voice brought all of their attentions over and he crossed his arms in response, not comfortable with suddenly having all eyes on him.

"They want us to throw a housewarming party," Laxus muttered and Gajeel raised a studded brow at him.

"Why?"

"It drives away the evil spirits!" Natsu bounded up to Gajeel, sparks flickering off his hands as he did so.

"There ain't any evil spirits in our house," Gajeel's lip quirked up slightly, "Trust me."

"Wait…" Lucy's brow furrowed, "You two are both moving… together?"

Laxus's throat tightened. This was one subject he knew he was going to have a hard time with. Gajeel took it in stride, though.

"Yeah. We both had leases coming up so we thought it'd be cheaper to split rent by three," he grunted.

"Three bachelors in the same house… I bet yer gonna have some crazy parties…" Cana sighed into her bottle, blushing slightly at whatever was going on in her head.

"I thought you guys didn't get along?" Lucy's smile was a little too smug and Laxus was finding it harder to keep his cool. He could kill Mira for it. She knew he hated his business being spread around the guild. They were all gossips when you got down to it.

"Gajeel!" a light voice interrupted the conversation and a pair of arms wrapped around the raven's waist. Gajeel stayed firm, like a brick wall, but Laxus could see the surprise that made his eyes widened just slightly. He still wasn't completely past his uneasiness and when he startled he had a tendency to lash out. He reigned himself in well, though, and quirked up the side of his mouth in a sly smile as Levy danced around him, "You're finally back at the guild!"

"Long time no see, Shorty," he grinned.

"You should have checked in more, we were worried about you," she piped up at him, her blue curls falling down her shoulders as she spoke. Everyone was finally beginning to disperse, muttering to themselves about spirits and houses and the cute way Levy could approach the hulking Iron Mage. Laxus found himself grinding his teeth and turned to the bar, biting down the jealousy that was suddenly flaring up in his stomach.

"Sorry about that," he said coolly, "I was busy training."

Laxus dropped his drink on the bar a little too fiercely and Mira eyed him keenly.

"Really? You'll have to teach me your routine sometime," she smiled up at him.

"Yeah? Think you can keep up, Shrimp?"

"Of course I can!" she chimed confidently and Laxus had to fight down an electric current that threatened to shock the air, "I actually wanted to ask you something."

"Yeah?"

Mira slid him a thicker glass mug and Laxus looked at her quizzically. She waved at him as if nothing were amiss but he felt like that was going to be proven false relatively quickly.

"Would you like to go on a job with me?"

Laxus felt the vein on the side of his neck getting taut and he tried to relax his muscles. It was just a job… and Levy was just being friendly.

"Eh? Sure. Where at?"

"Dahlia," she smiled at him and Laxus felt his possessiveness biting at his insides even harder, "The locals are requesting help with decorating for the Harvest Festival. It's nothing big. They just need some strong arms and a few creative ideas… plus the room is free,"

Laxus glanced over his shoulder at the two. Dahlia was a city known for its fall jubilees this time of year. The people loved to celebrate the harvest and would often host parades and fairs for entire weeks in preparation. It was a sweet and romantic place for couples to go on dates and Laxus found his hand clutching his glass just a little harder at the thought of that.

"Laxus," Mira's soft voice called his attention away from their conversation, "Calm down, love."

"I am calm," he muttered but Mira only rolled her eyes.

"Let him feel wanted," she smiled gently at him, her voice hushed, "It's good for his ego."

"He is wanted," Laxud retorted bitterly in response, refusing to look up at her, "Besides, we need help with the move."

"I'll help you," she smiled genuinely, "It'll be nice for him to come home and have all the hard work done, don't you think? And besides, it'll let me help you prepare for your housewarming."

"I told ya, we don't need a housewarming party," he snapped, although at this point he realized his words were useless.

"Laxus," Gajeel's voice disrupted their argument and he whipped his head around to meet his bloody eyes, "Are you and Lil gonna be ok if I go on a mission for a couple of days?"

A couple of days.He glanced over at Mira who was flitting over to the opposite side of the bar, refusing to meet his gaze.

"Uh… sure," he replied dumbly, sitting up so that their eyes were level with each other, "It's been a while, right? T's probably good for ya."

"Yeah," his lip tugged downwards at the corner, "Probably."

"Hopefully, we'll have everything done by the time you get back. You'll just have to sit through this fucking housewarming party,"

"Mira actually talk you into it?" Gajeel snorted.

"She's agitatingly persuasive," he shot her a glare that she pretended not to notice as she talked happily with Levy and Lucy.

"Well… I've already moved my stuff in anyway," he scratched at the back of his head and Laxus couldn't help but think he seemed nervous, "It' mostly just the living room furniture now."

"You work fast," Laxus muttered and couldn't help the lascivious look that came to his eyes, "Excited?"

He figured Gajeel would probably back down, not wanting to show what they'd been up to behind closed doors. They'd both sort of silently agreed not necessarily to keep their strange, budding relationship to themselves but more just not broadcast it. They had bigger issues between them that needed worked through first. Prying eyes and gossiping mouths didn't need to be added to the mix. Aside from the trauma he was still struggling with daily, Gajeel was also having issues with how his masculinity played into all of this. His pride was just as strong as his iron shield. The first time they got an invasive question could be enough to end it all… or at least that was what Laxus was scared of. So it honestly caught him off guard when Gajeel returned Laxus's lecherous gaze by flicking his own ruby gaze down his chest and pointedly at his crotch and then back up to meet his golden eyes.

"You're not?" he breathed cunningly and Laxus suddenly felt the need to cross his legs. Heat was already creeping up his neck when Gajeel put his hand on his knee as if he needed it to help boost his reach over the counter to grab a bag of iron scraps that Mira kept for him below the counter, "Try not to miss me too much, Sparky,"

He grinned and strode over to Levy who was giggling with Lucy about their mission. Laxus forced out a tense breath and released the strangle-hold he had on his glass, suddenly thankful that Mira had given him a thicker mug since he was sure he would have shattered the other one. He could hear her approaching even though his eyes were still trained on the Iron Dragon who was making his way to the exit Levy in tow. The sound of amber liquid hitting his glass pulled him back from the hot daze he was in.

"I'm impressed…" Mira tutted cheekily, "He's really giving you a run for your money."

He pulled at the collar of his shirt as he took a drink, suddenly realizing how warm he felt and Mira's knowing gaze only made it worse, "He probably gets off on it."

Mira raised a brow at him and the way she dropped her voice made him worried, "Can I ask a personal question?"

"If I say no are you going to ask anyway?" he growled.

She leaned down close to him, "Have you two actually…?"

He shot her a look before she could finish her sentence and hissed at her, "Why the hell do you need to know?"

He didn't like the mischievous turn to her lips, "So I know what to get you as a housewarming gift."

"Then don't get us anything," he bit at her. She sighed.

"I guess I'll just have to ask Juvia… I'm sure she'll know since Gajeel tells her everything."

"Or you could respect someone's privacy for once," he couldn't help the snap of electricity that escaped him in his anger.

She feigned a look of disgust as if he'd just insulted her, "I have a reputation to uphold, Laxus Dreyar."

He rolled his eyes and fought through the boiling in his gut, "You're insufferable, Mirajane."

"Harsh…" she pouted but he knew it was a farce. It took a lot more than his mean words to hurt her feelings. Despite the annoyance of her constant prying, he was actually happy they'd been able to stay friends. Mira, in all her grace, didn't even act as if anything was amiss when he'd tromped his way up to the bar a couple of days ago, had been nothing but elated when he'd divulged to her and he and Gajeel had actually been doing well together. It was as if the evening they'd spent using each other had never happened… or maybe that it had helped her finally shed the last of what she felt for him.

Mira swapped places with Lucy at the bar and hung her apron up in the closet. She smoothed out her maroon dress as she met him and they headed together back to Gajeel's house. When he arrived, he was happy to see that most of the place was packed up. It was just moving that was needed, and Lily was already hard at work lifting boxes. It seemed to take no time at all to get everything situated in their new place and Mira waltzed happily through the rooms, impressed that the three men could actually pick out a decent place amongst the three of them.

Lily cheerfully showed her around while Laxus carried his things up the stairs. The hardwood floors creaked and groaned under his weight and the harsh noises seemed to bounce off every hard surface in the house. He and Gajeel had decided to make their homes upstairs and Lily didn't question it in the slightest, preferring an interior room for when the inevitable rainstorm would come by, and it allowed the two men a little privacy. Laxus couldn't find it in him to bring up the prospect of sharing a room and Gajeel didn't seem ready to take a step like that anyway. They were still a walking balancing act; extremely touch-and-go.

He glanced into Gajeel's room as he passed, noticing the bed already set up although not made. He really must have been busy, or excited, or both. There were only a couple of boxes left unpacked and even those were sealed as if what was inside was meant to stay that way. He didn't want to intrude on the Iron Mage's privacy so he left it all be and just headed for his own room. It was the larger of the two upstairs, mostly because Laxus had the larger bed, and it smelled like dust and mothballs. He didn't mind it though. It would smell like him soon enough.

The next couple of trips up and down the stairs slowly saw the living room and kitchen put together as Mira and Lily got to unpacking. He was left alone for the most part to get his own room in order and he took the time alone graciously, realizing that he'd been living alone for the past couple of years and the transition to a full house was probably going to be a rocky one. He'd found himself wondering if maybe this step was one that they'd taken a little too quickly. What would happen if they fell apart? And then they'd just be stuck in the same house together?

He tried to push the thought out of his mind as he worked, opening a box and emptying it once, twice, again and again. He never realized just how much useless stuff he had until he had to put it all away and tear it back out again. He was starting more and more to like the idea of the next time he moved just leaving everything and starting fresh. Taking items with you was just an added hassle. Gajeel seemed to be the opposite sort of person. Whereas Laxus had thrown things away, he had carefully changed places with almost everything he'd previously had. The move had sparked a bit of a cleanup, throwing away old and broken trinkets or making him rummage through junk he hadn't touched in ages, but for the most part he'd seamlessly moved his room from one house to another with little change.

He held onto things and Laxus just pushed them away. Maybe he should have expected that given their dispositions. Gajeel carried his thoughts and feelings with him, harboring them and letting them bottle up. Laxus made himself forget, pushed them away until he could find some other way to deal with them. He sort of wondered if that was why he hadn't spiraled out of control the same way Gajeel had despite everything that had happened. He focused on moving forward and ridding himself of the bad and Gajeel felt like he was trapped by it.

Hours passed and it was dark in the house when Mira finally came up the stairs to tell him that she was leaving. The electricity hadn't been turned on yet so they'd lit candles and a couple of lamps that Laxus had collected in case of emergency. Lily decided to stay with Mira since they'd already closed up their house as well and the prospect of a hot shower had enticed him away from the dreary place they were still trying to make a home. They said their goodnights and Laxus closed the door, sort of feeling trapped in the massive place. His old house had been small, just a single bedroom, and he'd become used to its creeks and settling. This place was new and still fairly empty and dark. He'd be awoken by any slight noise during the night, he was sure of it.

He sighed to himself and grabbed a lantern, turning to walk up the dank stairwell. Each door now seemed like an open maw as he walked up to them, only vanishing when the light tilted in and revealed what was inside. Shapes of boxes were in one room. Another held the bathroom when the light finally reached past the shadows. He wasn't as on edge as he thought he would be. It was just an empty house, after all, and he'd never really been much of a believer in spirits from the netherworld coming back to haunt places.

He went to pass Gajeel's room again, casting his eyes to the shadows just to ensure nothing was out of place. An open box caught his eye and he stopped still in the hall. He was fairly certain they'd all been closed when he'd last walked by, but it was possible he'd just missed it in his haste to get full boxes up the stairs and empty ones in the trash. He just sort of stood in that hall for a moment, watching the open box as if at any moment the flaps would collapse back in on themselves and it would close of its own volition. Or, to him a worse alternative, literally every other box in the room may spontaneously open.

"There are no spirits in my house," he muttered aloud to himself and the darkness. He stepped into the dark room with his lantern and took a casual look around. All was still and silent. He let out a sigh, kicking himself for getting worked up over a box. He glanced over at it again and caught a glimpse of some white, "He'll kill you if he finds out you were snooping…"

He tromped over and peered inside and furrowed his brow at what was inside. In several different pieces of splintered wood and severed cord, was Gajeel's guitar. It clearly hadn't just been dropped or damaged in the shuffle of the move, it had been purposefully smashed to bits. Now that he thought about it, Gajeel hadn't made any mention of playing recently. He'd not performed at the guild or in the streets or even at home. Laxus hadn't seen the instrument lying about and had for the most part sort of forgotten that Gajeel even played except for when he brought it up in conversation.

A kind of sadness befell him as he looked at the broken pieces. He sighed and picked up the box, wincing as the broken thing shuffled painfully with the movement, and carried it back to his room. Early the next morning, he set out with it into town and made his way to one of the few, small music stores in the area. The bell dinged cheerfully as he entered and the cashier didn't seem happy at all to have a customer so early in the morning, especially not one with a box full of broken guitar parts.

"Whatdid you doto it?" he whined, his voice practically coming out his nose as he gingerly pulled what remained of a once white rock guitar out onto the counter.

"I didn't do anything," he crossed his arms.

"You don't expect me to fix this, do you?" the kid held his hands over it, not even daring to touch the splintered wood.

"Not anymore," Laxus watched him as he fussed, "Do you have anything like it?"

"Like this?" he looked Laxus up and down as he spoke, "No. But we can order one similar. I can have it at the shop in two weeks."

"Two weeks?"

"Two weeks."

"You can't get it here any faster?"

"How soon do you want it?"

"Today."

The kid snorted obnoxiously, clearly trying to hold back laughter, "Listen… buddy… I'd love to, but I'm not magic. Guitars like this went out of style ages ago. You gotta have one of these custom made. I can try to push it to one week but that's the best I can do, and it's going to cost ya."

Laxus stared at it for a hard minute, "Fine. Put the order in. But I want it in a week."

The kid blinked, "It'll raise the price, my guy… by like, five thousand jewels."

Laxus cocked an eyebrow at him and the kid suddenly seemed much more eager to help him than before, "I'll go get the order form. Make yourself at home!"

Laxus let out an agitated sigh and glanced around the shop. There were several different partitions up with instruments mounted to them. All sorts of glittering brass and shining silver decorated the walls. Saxophones, flutes, clarinets, violins, keyboards and so much more decorated the place like some kind of museum of music. He stepped around the counter and made his way deeper through the shelves. There was an area with all sorts of different music books, from teaching basics to whole soundtracks. He'd never really learned how to read music himself, he just knew he liked to listen to it.

He turned the bend and stopped in his tracks. The back of the store was just an entire wall of guitars only broken by a simple door which Laxus assumed led to a store room. And right in front of him was an ivory-colored electric guitar in just the style and shape as Gajeel's old one. He was immediately agitated. Two weeks and he had one back here the entire time? He reached up and lifted it easily. It was heavier than he thought it would be and was speckled with iridescent flecks on the white surface. He smirked. It wasn't just like Gajeel's old guitar, it was somehow even gaudier.

"H-Hey! Put that back!" the kid scrambled over to him from seemingly nowhere and Laxus shot him an exasperated glare as he sidestepped his nervous attempts at snatching the guitar from him, "That's worth more than half the pieces in this place!"

"It is?" he smirked, "This thing?"

"Yes, this thing!" he flushed red and made one last futile attempt to get it away from the Lightning Mage, "It's a limited edition!"

"How much?" he snapped, causing the boy to stare up at him in alarm.

"What? You want to buyit?"

"Listen, kid," he growled and the boy shuddered back a step, "I'm tryin' to do somethin' nice for a friend. He needs a new guitar and I want it before he gets back in town. How much is the damn thing?"

His eyes widened, "I… uh… it's ninety…"

"Great," he said sarcastically, "Ring it up."

"Y-yes, yes, right away."

Laxus let his eyes wander once again to the wall and let another guitar catch his attention, "I want that one, too,"

The kid froze, "Thatone?"